Control for traveling mechanism



Nov. 17, 1931. w. 1-1., ORTLIP 1,832,650

CONTROL FOR TRAVELING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Shea"- l WITNE35E6 I Q INVENTOR:

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Nov. 17, 1931. w. H: ORTLIP CONTROL FOR TRAVELING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 7. i929 2 Sheets-Shee1 fizz--2- WITNES SE5 Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER HOWARD ORTLIP, OF WILLIAMSTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF PER CENT TO BENNETT BEAR, OF GARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA- CONTROL FOR TRAVELING- MECHANISM Application filed January 7, 1929. Serial No. 330,946.

The present invention relates to controls for traveling parts of machinery and particularly to controls for preventing sudden stopping and jars at the ends of the path of travel of such traveling parts. The invention will be hereinafter described as applied to bridges made up of leaves, swingable about axes at their abutment ends, such as are found in bridges of the bascule type.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved control of the above character.

Further objects are to provide a control which will operate independently of the motive force for moving the traveling parts, and without modification of said formsduring the travel of the said parts.

Still further objects are to provide a control purely mechanical in its nature, which may be used in connection with any source of power, electrical or otherwise, and which will be automatic and unfailing in its operation regardless of the condition of the motive force.

Fourthly, an object of the invention is to provide a control means which will also act as a lock to hold the traveling part in looking position atone end of its path of travel.

Fifthly, objects of the invention are to simplify the construction and operation of controls of this character, reducing the cost of production and operation, and to slim: inate the necessity of air buffers and other operating accessories now used with mechanisms of this character.

Further objects of the invention is to provide a control of the above character which will act as a safety device when the moving part is being operated and when the motive means or. the connection of the moving part therewith is out of commission.

A construction accomplishing the above objects and illustrative of the principles of the invention comprises a rack with associated guides to accommodate guide members, as rollers, movable therealong and functioning to maintain a pinion geared to the rack; said pinion being connected to the traveling part in a suitable manner so as to move the same between the limits of its travel as the pinion moves along the rack and suitably driven through any source of power, as an electric motor, steam, etc.

In the case of applying the invention to the leaves of a bridge of the character above set forth, the pinion may beconnected therewith by means of an arm which is of a construction to assume a position at right angles to' the leaf when the latter is in closed position. The above mentioned rack is so constructed that there willbe a gradual slowing down of the movement of the traveling part to which the control is connected during a sufficient interval before it reaches its relating structure which forms no part of the invention being fragmentarily shown.

Figure 2 1s a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the relation of the guide rollers to r the guide members and the driving connection between the motive force and the operating traction pinion.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the meshing of the pinion with the stationary rack when the bridge is closed.

While the principles of the invention are herein illustrated in connection with a bridge, it is to be clearly understood that the invention may be applied with any modifications that a given situation may require to machinery having traveling parts as to gates,

elevators and the like, in which a cushioning or slowing down at the limits of the travel is desirable.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 designates an abutment which may be the end of a roadway and may be of concrete or any other suitable material. This construction may be extended as at 11 to provide a support for a stationary rack 12 along which a pinion the shape of the rack.

13 may be caused to move through suitable motive power, not shown, in driving connection therewith in any suitable manner, one embodiment which will be hereinafter described.

The pinion 13 is rotatably mounted on an arm 14, which in turn is pivotally connected as at 15.to the swinging leaf 16 of a bridge construction. This pivotal point is preferably located rearwardly of the axis of rotation of the bridge leaf designated in Figure 1 by the numeral 17.

The rack 12 constitutes a track along which the pinion 13 travels and the same is given tractivc force for elevating the bridge leaf 16 by means of roller guides 18 conforming to The pinion 13 is secured to a shaft 19, which in turn, is journaled in the arm 1i. This shaft has rollers 20 mounted thereon and positioned in the slots 21 extending the entire length of the guide members 18. It will readily appear from the drawings and from the above description that the construction and relationship of the guidesand rollers will maintain the teeth of the gear 13 in mesh with the teeth or cross bars 22 of the rack so that when the pinion 13 is rotated it will be caused to travel along the rack in a direction depending on its direction of rotation and the bridge leaf will be lifted or lowered according to the direction of travel of the pinion.

Any suitable means may be employed for rotating the pinion and, in the present instance, a train of gears 28 is employed which train includes reducing gears 24 and idler gears 25, the lowermost one of which meshes with a. gear 26 secured to and rotatable with the shaft 19 on which pinion 13 is mounted.

The rack when used in connection with a bridge structure has, preferably, a substantially straight, inclined central portion such as is shown between the letters A and B in Figure 1 of the drawings. As the pinion moves along the rack, its travel over this central portion will move the bridge at a substantially uniform speed and, in order to provide for a slowing down of the movement of the bridge prior to its reaching the limits of its travel, the rack is given an inclination toward its ends from the plane of the portion lying between the letters A and B, such that the speed of traction caused by the pinion moving over these portions maybe gradually decreased. Such portions are shown as lying between the letters C and A and B and D in Figure 1 of the drawings.

In the present showing these inclinations are in the nature of curved portions that lie between the letters A and C and B and D, respectively. the latter slowing down and cushioning the movement of the bridge as it approaches its open position as shown in dOtted lines in Figure 1. The curved portion between the letters B and D as a whole is inclined toward the bridge and the inclination of the portion between the letters C and A as a whole is in the reverse direction. The centers of these curvatures are more nearly coincident with the pivotal point 15 of the pinion 13 than when the pinion is moving on the substantially straight portion of the track between the letters A and B. Provision for over travel is provided at the ends of the rack and roller guides said over travel constituting substantially the portion of the rack between the letters C and D and the respective ends of the track nearest these letters. These portions of the track having centers of curvature are accurately coincident with the pivot 15 respectively when the bridge is closed and when the bridge is open so that there will be no pull on the bridge through the arm 14 during this over travel.

The arm 14 may comprise spaced members 1 1-" and 14" between which the pinion 13 is mounted. Vith the construction of the above character, it will be readily understood that the raising and lowering of the bridge leaves may be accomplished through any available source of motive power adapting the control device for use with bridges where electrolnotive force is unavailable. It will also appear that the operation of the control is independent of any control exercised over the motor as, for instance, by the throwing in of extra resistance and other manipulation common with electrically controlled bridges.

The operation in slowing down the bridge at the end of its travel will be automatic and independent of manipulation of any sort. The pinion 13 will be driven at constant speed and the curvature of the track alone will be depended upon for the slowing down of the bridge. Thus it will be seen that l have provided a device that will act regardless of whether the motive force is working properly or has been for some cause thrown out of commission. The device therefore constitutes a safety appliance which will act to prevent injury to the bridge in case of a break down in the driving mechanism for the bridge.

The operating arm once adjusted to a given bridge will act in an identical manner in each operation of the bridge and will occupy the same position whenever the bridge is closed, locking the same against being opened except through the actuation of the pinion 13 through the motive force. This arrangement eliminates the necessity of repeated efforts to seat the bridge as the automatically operating control will always bring it to seated position under the control of the motive force, and provides a locking device which will automatically come into locking position when the bridge is closed.

With this device, buffers of all characters may be eliminated as the slope of the slowing down portions of the rack may be so adjusted that a gradual decrease of speed in the movement of the bridge will take place, seating the bridge at as low a speed as is found necessary.

It will be understood that the above description taken in connection with the illustrations in the drawings is presented as one application of the principles of the invention and the same may be applied to other mechanisms in the manner as suggested above and within the scope of the invention as herein claimed.

What I claim is 1. In combination with the leaf of a bridge swingable about an axis, an arm connected to said leaf eccentric of the axis, a pinion on said arm, a stationary rack meshing with the teeth of the pinion, a guide for causing the pinion to adhere to the rack, said rack and guide having straight portions and curved portions at the ends thereof and means for driving said pinion.

2. A device for causing the slowing of the movement of travel of a swingable member at the ends of its path of travel, including a track, a rigid arm pivoted at one end to said swingable member and its other end movable in conformity with the track, said track having a curved portion at one end eccentric withthe central portion thereof, said arm lying at right angles to the swingable member when the swingablc member is at one limit of its path. of movement and contacting with saidtrack.

3. In combination with a bridge leaf swingable about an axis, a rigid arm pivoted to the leaf rearwardly of the axis, a rack, a pinion on said arm meshing with said rack as the bridge leaf swings to open or closed positions, the length of said arm being such as to measure the distance between the rack and pivotal point on the leaf when the leaf is closed and to lie at a locking angle to the leaf when closed.

4. In combination with a bridge leaf swingable about an axis, traction means connected by a pivot rigid with the leaf, a track along which the traction means moves in swinging the leaf between its limits of travel, said track having portions at its ends providing for over travel of the traction means, said portions being respectively concentric with the pivotal connection between the traction means and leaf when the leaf is at the extremes of its travel.

5. A device for retarding the movement of a traveling member at the ends of its travel including a guide member having a portion of one end of slight curvature, and a portion of the other end curved in reverse with the rack, the pinion.

direction to the first said curvature, a rigid member pivotally; connected to one end of the travel member and means for causing the other end of the pivoted member to move in conformity with the guide member.

6.,In combination -with a bridge leaf swingable aboutan axis, a rigid arm having one end pivotally connected with the bridge leaf, a sinuous track, means on the ends of said arm opposite its pivotfor confining its movements to the contour of the track, the end' of the track terminating in portions curved in the same direction; but eccentric one" to the other, each of the curved portions adapted to co-operate with the said organization for locking the bridge leaf alternately in open and closed position. V

7. A mechanical control for rotating a member a pre-determined distance consisting of a sinuous track having curved end por- .tions, the curvatures of the end portions being in the same direction but eccentric one to the other, means having one of its ends pivotally connected to one end of the member and its other end movably connected with the track, means for moving the last said end along the track and a guide member for maintaining the last said end in contact relation with the track as it moves thereon.

' V 8. A mechanical control for a member oscillating ona fixed fulcrum, comprising a curved rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point fixed relative thereto and spaced from the fulcrum, and a pinionjournaled upon, the arm and in tractive engagement and driving connection for 9. mechanical control for a member oscillatlng on a fixed fulcrum, comprising a rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, over-run arcs. at the ends of said straight part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point fixed relative thereto and spaced from the fulcrum, a pinion journaled upon the arm and in tractive engagement with the rack, and driving connection for the pinion.

10. A mechanical control for a member oscillating on a fixed fulcrum, comprising a rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point fixed relative thereto and spaced from the fulcrum, a pinion journaled upon the arm and in tractive engagement with the rack, the ends of said rack being curved upon arcs respectively concentric with the pivot at the extremes of its oscillations, and driving connection for the pinion.

11. A mechanical control for a member oscillating on a fixed fulcrum, comprising a rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point fixed relative thereto and spaced from the fulcrum, a pinion journaled upon the arm and in tractive engagement with the rack, the ends of said rack being curved upon arcs respectively concentric with the pivot at the extremes of its oscillation, the straight part merging gradually at each end into said arcuate parts, and driving connection for the pinion.

12. A mechanical control for a member oscillating on a fixed fulcrum, comprising a curved rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point fixed relative thereto and spaced from the fulcrum, a pinion journaled upon the arm and in tractive engagement with the rack, and means on said arm to transmit tractive power to said pinion.

13. A mechanical control for a member oscillating on a fixed fulcrum, comprising a rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point spaced from the fulcrum, a pinion journaled upon the arm and in tractive engagement with the rack, and means to transmit tractive power to said pinion, the ends of said rack being curved upon arcs respectively eoncentric with the pivot at the extremes of its oscillation.

14:. A mechanical control for a member oscillating on a fixed fulcrum, comprising a rack spaced away from said fulcrum and having a substantially straight intermediate part, an arm pivoted to the member at a point spaced from the fulcrum, a pinion ournaled upon the arm and in tractive engagement with the rack, and means to transmit tractive power to said pinion, the ends of said rack being curved upon arcs respectively concentric with the pivot at the extremes of the oscillation, the straight part merging gradually at each end into said arcuate parts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

VALTER HOWARD ORTLIP. 

